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Thanks to You
Shakespeare Royal Oak offers me a time to distill many of my so-called higher passions into one experience: excellence in the arts, service to my home community, building education and career growth opportunities for the emerging generation.
Then there’s the joy of creating the magic of live outdoor theater. The unison laughter of a relaxed group of pleasant people on an evening in the park. The bonds that are formed in the doing of it. The sunset. The lights. The lost and found. The child discovering Shakespeare. The smiles and thank-yous. These joys bring me back to do it again and again.
And in every season there is an opportunity for me to grow, to find more in me. That’s the pay-off.
The many people who’ve joined me in this, from patrons to donors to artists to volunteers, are the doers of it. I’m sure you are one of them.
So my thanks to you!
Ed Nahhat
Thank You for a Great Season!
This Season
The Taming of the Shrew
“The Taming Of The Shrew is full of empowered, feisty characters and we are lucky to have Oakland University’s esteemed Lynnae Lehfeldt directing it this summer. She is an artist of consequence, and it matters that she is directing this show this year”, said Water Works President Ed Nahhat. “In our version, the taming goes both ways for these lovers, Petruchio and Katherina. Audiences will have to decide who the shrew actually is. Lynnae is the perfect director to bring this wonderful comedy to our stage.”
Taming of the Shrew’s opening night highlights and interviews:
Shakespeare in Love and War
Shakespeare in Love and War is another Water Works original, based on the Bard’s timeless tales of the most dramatically important times in life: war and love. Our fun daylight show finds Shakespeare’s enduring lovers and enemies, who are sometimes both to each other, at their best and their worst. Soldiers returning from war, lovers awaiting their return, romance under the cloud of war, the epic comedy of the battle of the sexes. This stellar cast of four versatile actors, who are equally skilled in full combat as they are in heartache, brings to life the most intense times of life that Shakespeare ever wrote. Directed and compiled by our Artistic Director, Sara Catheryn Wolf, Shakespeare in Love and War is destined for greatness.
Hamlet
Water Works Teen Ensemble returns to the festival for its seventh summer. The original two-week outdoor creative experience for high school students provides and opportunity for the participants to cast, direct, and present a complete performance of a Shakespeare play. This summer, the ensemble will present Hamlet on the Starr Jaycee Park stage.
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Education
Award-winning director and Water Works veteran, Frannie Shepherd-Bates is Education Director for KidsAct! and Water Works Teen Ensemble. More >
Support
There are many ways to support Water Works Theatre Company. You can advertise in our program, volunteer your time or expertise, become a sponsor or make a financial donation. It all ensures that this community jewel continues. Find out how you can help >
About
Learn more about Water Works Theatre Company: our beginnings, our passion and our future. Tell me the story >
FAQs
Have questions about your Shakespeare Royal Oak experience? We have the answers. Get the FAQs >
In its seventh year and with a new name, Water Works Teen Ensemble, our extraordinary high school-age outdoor experience, takes on new challenges. Last year, our high school students auditioned for, performed, and produced a full-fledged production of The Tempest. This year’s production is Hamlet.